Woodland Youth Council members Andie Barba and Crystal Gasca with Coalition members: Vice Mayor Artemio Pimentel, Edgar Lampkin, Roxanne Regules, Carlos Jackson and Susan Cassady

The Woodland Coalition for Youth is a group of youth, parents and public and private agencies that are committed to working together for systems change for youth.

Woodland Coalition for Youth, side twoWoodland Coalition for Youth Fact Sheet, side oneOur Vision for Youth

Our vision for the Coalition is that all youth have a voice and more choice in positive educational and social connections to be happy, healthy and successful adults. This vision is the result of the collaboration of public and private partners who came together to consider the welfare of all youth ages 10 to 15, whom they recognized as being of particular importance because of the numerous transitions they face during this age.

Our goals as a coalition are to work together, with youth at the core, to:

» Connect all youth to existing resources that will allow them to develop positive work and social connections by addressing the issues of access and effectiveness

» Complete a comprehensive youth-driven community assessment that uses the youth development framework to map all resources, identify gaps and analyze access and effectiveness of supports

» Encourage the use of the youth development framework throughout the community, beginning with coalition partners

» Increase the involvement of youth in planning, policy work and decision making on issues that affect them or their families

» Work with and consider all youth 10 to 15, not just at-risk youth, Latino youth, high-achieving youth, or any other “group,” because we believe there are many youth who may not be failing but are not thriving

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Youth Action 2007-2008
The following is our first-year Youth Action Plan:

Involving Youth in Meaningful Relationships with Adults
›› We will strengthen and support youth leadership opportunities by creating a Youth Leadership Center in Woodland. We also will develop a professional mentoring program to connect youth with caring, responsible adults. In addition, by raising awareness of the importance of meaningful relationships between youth and adults, and strengthening the connection between families and community services, we will help families support youth.

Developing a Youth Policy Agenda
›› Members of our Youth Council will help to develop a youth policy agenda for Woodland. Youth then will promote the agenda to make community-wide changes to improve their quality of life.

Increasing Access to Existing Opportunities for All Youth
›› We will increase youth and adult awareness of existing youth activities and resources in Woodland. Youth will research and publicize resources, identify barriers to access, and pursue ways to break down those barriers. We also will expand youth development opportunities and conduct a public relations campaign, focusing on youth, our Coalition’s work and youth development principles.

Increasing Educational Support for All Youth
›› We will increase youth access to existing educational support opportunities. The Coalition will work with the Woodland Joint Unified School District and the Yolo County Office of Education to address identified barriers to access and augment existing resources.